Appabatus for lightening vessels



LUiflIITED STATES PATENT Fm,

ORRILLUS T. VILLIAHS, OF SMITHLAND, KENTUCKY.

`*APPARATUS* `FOB. LIGHTENING- VESSELS.

Specification of Letters Patent No.

To all whom it may concern;

Beit known that I, ORRILLUs T. VILLIAMS, of Smithland, Livingston county, Kentucky, have invented a new and Improved Method ofLightening Vessels, and that the followingis a full, clear, and eXact description thereof, `reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which makes part of this specification.

My elevating apparatus is composed of a light but strong jointed `framework to be let down into the water, by the side of the `vessel to be raised, and capable of attaching itself by suitablehooks, clews, or other holding` apparatus beneath the lower part of the vessel. Between the several parts of the frame work, `and attached thereto, is a lieXible covering inclosing a space usually of a prismatic form, intended to receive air.l

The lower part of this prism I generally leave open to admit of the free entrance and eXit of water as required. The ends and two sides of the prism are of course made air and water tight. Into the space included between the two sides of the flexible coveri ing and the water, air is injected, after the apparatus has been attached to the vessel,

Vand by the buoyancy t-hus created,ithe vessel is elevated to a greater or less height accorciing to the requirement of the case, for the purpose of allowing her to pass over shoals or to set her afloat when aground in shallow water.

The advantage of the liexible elevator, with jointed adjustable frames to retain it in place when brought into use, is, that while it is capable of being taken inboard and packed up into a small space, it allows of being easily and speedily adapted to the sides of the boat or vessel and brought into action by simply injecting air beneath the airtight inclosure.

My invention will be particularly useful as applied to river craft such as scows, flatboats, flat bottomed steam boats and the like, many of which from their great breadth do not admit of easily passing ropes, chains, or other supports across their whole breadth. For the sake of easy management and to give steadiness in the liftingof a vessel, my

apparatus will be made in sections, whenever the vessel to be raisedis of such length `as to require it. For ashort boat or vessel `a single section on each side may be suffi- 8,766, dated February 24, 1852.

lengthened or shortened at pleasure to suitthe various forms of the bottoms of vessels in order to be sure of reaching such a part of the bottom as will enable them to take a firm hold, Those parts or pieces of the jointed framework which extend up and down the sides of the vessel have the power of being so set before being sunk into the water as topconform to the inclination or flaring of the sides of the vessel. If the sides be not plain but curved these upright-s may be formed of chains or cords instead of bars, while the other parts of the ointed frame are composed of rigid bars. The side of the vessel then takes the place of the rigid upright bar and the chain or cord applies itself to the curved or waving side, and brings with it the flexible inclosure, which is thereby made to adjust itself to the form of the vessels side. y

I am aware that pontoons and elevators made of lieXible materials in the form `of bags have heretofore been proposed but serious inconvenience is found to attend the use of such when employed for the purpose of lightening vessels over shoals and I am also aware that rigid camels have been made into which air is injected for the purpose of giving buoyancy but such camels lack the property of being easily taken on board and stowed away in a small compass.

In the accompanying drawing Figure l, is a side elevation and Fig. 2, a cross section of the apparatus exhibiting the manner of attaching it to the bottom.

A is a horizontal bar having at the outer end the hook D, to take hold of the vessel; B is a brace jointed to A, and also to the upright C.

c is 4the flexible inclosure embracing the air space F, into which air is to be forced through the tube T or in any other convenient manner.

V represents one side of the vessel to which the apparatus is attached and ready to be brought into action.

fw is the water level.

In Fig. l, are seen the inclosure c, the uprights C, C, and one of them in the form of a chain C', the hooks D, D, D, the set screws e, e, c, by which the position of the upright C is adjusted with respect `to that of the horizontal bar A (Fig. 2) and the stretchers S, S, S, by means of which the longitudinal extension of the machine is preserved when in action, said stretchers being capable of from injury in handling;

When ropes or chains are used to enable the apparatus to adopt the curvature of the flexible inclosure to that of the vessels sides there is of course a set screw or equivalent means employed to adjust the point of attachment of the chain to the horizontal bar A, the power of self adaptation then applies to the ropes or chains and the inclosure, the side of the vessel serving as herein stated the part of the rigid upright in keeping the horizontal bar A and the brace B in their proper position, when coinbined with the chain or rope as described.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. The elevator formed by combining jointed frames of inflexible materials, with ieXible inclosures made air tight above, and open below, when said jointed frames are so constructed as tol attach themselves to the bottom of a vessel after being let'down by its side, the flexible inclosure so arranged selves to the forin'of a vessels sides,V wherebyV the flexible inclosure for air is allowed tol come into close contact with the outside of the Vessel, in the manner and forthe purposes herein set forth.

3. I also claim in combination with a flexible inclosure for retaining the air, the hook D, upright or chain, C, brace B and stretcher S whereby the elevator is made capable of attaching itself to kthe vessel and of raising the same without the necessityv of passing a support beneath the keel, as( herein set forth.

ORRILLUS T. WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

A. W. CARMONY PRESLEY W. DoRsEY. 

